Birmingham Green Adult Care Living Facility Experiences COVID-19 Outbreak

Posted

Photo on Birmingham Green website.

The management at Birmingham Green Adult Care Residence in Manassas announced Thursday that a total of ten residents and nine staff members across its campuses have tested positive for COVID-19.

This follows a trend by which the majority of COVID-19 outbreaks in Virginia have occurred in long-term care facilities.

The nursing home located on 8605 Centreville Road is a Northern Virginia Health Center affiliated with the counties of Prince William, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudon counties and the City of Alexandria. It has been a Northern Virginia Regional Partner since 1927.

Birmingham Green campuses include the Health Care Nursing Center, District Home Assisted Living facility and Willow Oaks Assisted Living facility for low income older adults or adults of any age with disabilities.

Staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 have been sent home to self-isolate for a 14-day period. “We also have residents and staff who are under investigation and are isolating as a precautionary effort,” the April 23 announcement read.

To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the nursing home has made numerous changes to its usual operations, as detail within the announcement.

Changes include restricting visitors from entering the building, monitoring residents with frequent temperature checks, requiring all staff wear masks, fitting staff for N95 masks, holding regular staff briefings, enhancing sanitization, stopping all communal activities for residents, and cancelled all non-critical off campus doctors’ appointments.

“Resident and staff safety is our top priority at Birmingham Green. We are following the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and our local and state agencies to stop the spread of COVID-19 within our community.”

The adult long-term care facility is further collaborating with the Prince William Health District, “to take the appropriate steps to ensure effective prevention measures are in place to support the health and safety of our residents and staff.”

Birmingham Green posted a notice on April 16, after cases of COVID-19 was discovered on the Health Care Center and Willow Oaks Assisted Living facilities also located at 8605 Centreville Road.

“The reality per public health sources is that additional cases will occur,” the website message stated. “However we have steady leadership across our campus with team members committed to putting forth our best infection control efforts to fight COVID-19.”

Birmingham Green said it would contact families if a loved one is diagnosed with or suspected to have COVID-19. “We encourage you to remain updated via our web page at: www.birminghamgreen.org and recorded updates at 703-257-6282.” Birmingham Green also posted a link to "frequently asked questions."

Outbreaks in Virginia 

Of the 168 COVID-19 outbreaks in Virginia 92 have been in long term care facilities according to the Virginia Department of Health. That amounts to 988 patients and 78 deaths.

Residents are easily able to contract the virus since they live in close proximity. The virus may also hit them harder due to age and compromised immune systems.

After long term care facilities, congregation settings account for 38 outbreaks, or 229 cares and seven deaths. Other outbreaks have occurred in healthcare settings, correctional facilities and educational settings. There have been no deaths today among people affected by those outbreaks.

There are now 1,027 cases of the COVID-19 virus in Prince William County and 18 deaths as of April 23. The only jurisdiction in the state with more COVID-19 cases than Prince William is Fairfax County where there are 2,362 cases and 76 deaths.

As of Thursday, Virginia has had 10,998 total cases of COVID-19 including 371 probable cases, and 372 total deaths. The number of people tested has risen to 64,518.

Birmingham Green accepts monetary donations as well as donations of personal protective equipment including masks and gloves.

Birmingham Green thanked Del. Danica Roem (D-13th District) and her community for a substantial donation of PPE.18

Numbers may be updated at a later time.

adult-residential-living, assisted-living, birmingham-green, covid-19, facility, featured, manassas, medical-facility, northern-virginia, nursing-home, outbreak, prince-william-county, residents, staff, virginia